Led Zeppelin members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones received the Kennedy Center Honors over the weekend in Washington.
The award is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture.
Zeppelin were on hand along with fellow 2012 recipients David Letterman, bluesman Buddy Guy, actor and director Dustin Hoffman, and ballerina Natalia Makarova.
"When Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham burst onto the musical scene in the late 1960s, the world never saw it comin,” said President Barack Obama in his tribute to the band at the White House event Sunday. “There was this singer with a mane like a lion and a voice like a banshee, a guitar prodigy who left people’s jaws on the floor, a versatile bassist who was equally at home on the keyboards, a drummer who played like his life depended on it.”
“And when the Brits initially kept their distance, Led Zeppelin grabbed America from the opening chord,” he continued. “We were ready for what Jimmy called songs with a lot of light and shade.
“It’s been said that a generation of young people survived teenage angst with a pair of headphones and a Zeppelin album ... but even now, 32 years after John Bonham’s passing - and we all I think appreciate the fact - the Zeppelin legacy lives on.
We honour Led Zeppelin for making us all feel young, and for showing us that some guys who are not completely youthful can still rock!"
An all-star lineup performed Zeppelin tunes as part of the evening’s tribute, according to Rolling Stone.
The Foo Fighters, with Dave Grohl on drums and Taylor Hawkins on rather strained vocals, took on "Rock and Roll." Kid Rock, in gold-sequined cowboy shirt and chaps, did a better job on "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" and "Ramble On." Next was Lenny Kravitz doing a spot-on Plant impression on "Whole Lotta Love." Finally, Jason Bonham, son of original drummer John and the drummer for the band's 2007 reunion show, joined Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart for a show-ending version of "Stairway to Heaven" that gradually grew to include a string section, a horde of backup singers and the Joyce Garrett Youth Choir.
The Kennedy Center Honors medallions were presented on Saturday, the night before the gala, at a State Department dinner hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The Honors Gala was recorded for broadcast on the CBS Network for a 2-hour primetime special to air on Wednesday, December 26 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT).
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